Pipe-joint



7 UNITED sriirns PATENT onirica.

WILLIAM H. FLINT, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

PIPE-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mai'. 23, 1920.

Application led August 15, 1918. Serial No. 249,993.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. FiiiN'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Birmingham, county of Jefferson, and State of Alabama, have invented an I mproveinent in Pipe-Joints, of which the iollowing is a 'speciiication My invention has for its object the more effective sealing of the; joint or union between two pipe sections and more especially the union between the bell and spigot coupling of two cast iron pipe sections of ordinaryconstruction such as heretofore sealed by a lead and yarn joint or packing.

My object is to provide a construction of joint employing a packing of lead and yarn, in which the lead is applied in cold condition and as an expanded lead seal, the expansion being insured by the special shape of the lead packing and the action ofthe yarn thereon whenl the lead is forced into the bell. v

My object is further to provide the joint at the bottom of the bell with a lead st rip which is forced Cold between the abutting ends of the pipe sections and between whlch and the outer cold pressed expanded lead the yarn is confined and tightly packed in the annular space in the bell, whereby I not only secure the packing due to the yarn but also the double packing due tothe lead upon each side of the yarn, thereby providing atriple packing, and more particularly, one in which thel soft yarn is tightly positioned between metal coniines so that it' cannot work through into the interior of the pipe and thereby weaken the joint.

In carrying out my invention, I dispense entirely with the necessity of melting the lead and applying it in a molten condition and thereafter calking the joint and provide a construction of joint and method of inaking the saine which permits the joint material to be mechanically applied and forced into a tight sealing condition whereby, with suitable appliances, the joints may be speedily made and of a' character which insures, not only a tighter joint than heretofore possible, but also a uniformconstruction so that all the joints along a long length of piping may be depended upon as being of equal tightness and durability.

My invention also consists of improvements hereinafter described whereby the above objects and results are attained, said improvements comprising certain organization and combination of parts which are fully described hereinafter and more pai'- ticularly defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal section` of a portion of a pipe joint embodying my invention before pressure is applied in completing the joint; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the joint in completed form; Fig. 3 is a cross section of a pipe .looking toward the Ibell and joint; Fig. fl is a plan view of a portion of the lead strip employedin my improved joint; and Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same.

2 and 3 are two engaging pipe sections of the usual bell and spigot pattern; and the end 8 of section 2 is similar to the nnsliown end of section 3, all pipe sections being the same. When the spigot end 8 of one section 2 is inserted into the bell end 4 of the next adjacent section, there is lprovided an annular socket or space 5 having the lead groove 6a near its outer end. The inner end of the bell socket provides an annular shoulder 7 which is rounded at 2'a to meet the outer wall of the socket; and with this, the enlarged or beaded spigot end 8 of the other pipe section forms a loose fit. IVith a pipe construction of this character, I provide my improved packing, which I will now describe. j'

The materials employed in my improved packed joint are prepared especially for the purpose. The yarn may be ordinary plumb` ers tarred yarn run through a shredder and twisted into a rope form, whereby it is soft, pliable and evenin texture or consistently regular in character. This yarn isin excellent condition for being compressed in the joint in an even and regular manner. The other elements which enter into the makeup of the joint are lead strips; and these are made of uniform cross section (Fig. 5) rolled into long lengt-hs and cut into' the required lengths so as to capable of being wrapped about the pipe'and be received within the jointsocket. As shown in Figs. i and 5, this lead strip 9a would Abe of rectangular form except that one of its edges 12 is beveled to provide a feather edge of greater pliability for reasons to be presently described. The thickness of this strip 9 is approximately one half of the radial space of the socket 5 to be filled, so that when two strips are arranged concentrically upon each other, they may slip into the entrance space of the socket of the bell (Fig. 1). The transverse width of the strips is preferably of approximately one inch, but it will be understood that the cross section of this lead strip material will vary to suit the size or shape of the bell and space to be packed.

I will now describe the application of those materials to the socket to be packed in an( ordinary bell and spigot joint. A length of the lead strip 9, equal to the circumferential surface of the inside of the socket 6 is cut off on the bias or diagonal 13 (Fig. 4), so that when curved into a circle it will have its biased ends overlapped. This circular strip 9 is then placed in position in the socket 5 and crushed into place by force, it will center the pipe 2 and seal the spigot end in the seat of-the socket. The lead strip 9 is placed in position with the beveled or feathered edge 12 outward (Fig. l)V and when driven into the space between the bell and beaded or spigot end it takes the shape or form corresponding to the intervening annular space and is guided in assuming such shape by the curved wall 7a' 'of the bell socket (Fig. 2). This lead packing `forms a seat upon which the yarn 5 may press and prevents disintegration of the yarn and particles thereof finding their way into the interior of the pipe. In securing this result, advantage is had in the form of the spigot end of the pipe, it being cast, in usual practice, of a diameter which, in finished position, gives approximately three-sixteenths of an inch about the extreme outside edge of the Ibead 8 and as the end of the bell is inclined lor beveled slightly, the space between it and the seat 7 of the socket diminishes gradually toward the inside edge. This gives a tapered space into which the lead strip is forced and the rounded surface 7 of the socket insures the curvature beine' easily given to the feather edge of the lead strip.

This inner lead strip is shown in Fig. 1 in position before being forced into rits final position; and while it is preferable to force it into position before introducing the yarn packing 5, I do not restrict myself in this respect. The prepared yarn is then placed in the socket 6 and around the pipe sufficiently to make one-half of the packing, so as to insure that the joint is Well packed. Further yarn is then packed in the socket up to within approximately one-half inch of the face, the bell 4. The yarn is compressed suliiciently to exert the utmost friction against the walls of the pipe to confine it. This yarn packing 5 supports and sustains the lead strip 9 in its final position, above described (Fig. 2).

The vfinal operation relates to introducing additional lead strips to hold the yarn packing in place. Into the above mentioned half inch space left in the socket of the bell, a wrapping of loose yarn rope is placed. I then place in position two additional strips 10 and 11 of lead, similar in general to the strip 9, but with the bevels 12 reversed, as shown in Fig. l. These strips 10 and 11 a1'e concentric and loosely fit the entrance into the socket space of the bell; and their beveled edges provide an annular V shaped groove on their inner ends into which the rope yarn may enter. Under pressure, these lead strips 10 and 11 are forced to enter the socket, the inner strip 11 going straight forward and its bevel tending to lift the yarn toward the bevel of the outer strip 10. The outer strip 10 in being forced forward comes into contact with the yarn and the action thereof upon the beveled edge of the outer lead strip forces it outward and into the lead groove 6a of the socket. Upon completing the forward movement of the lead strips, 10 and 11, they will have further compressed the 7arn and have themselves become tightly cho ed into the mouth of the bell. The outer portion or surplus lead would accommodate itself to the form of the bell and have a neat, perfect seal.

lVhile the lead strips 9, 10 and l1 are not relied upon for making the seal itself they will, as a matter of fact, provide a relatively tight joint. The function of these lead strips is to provide metal walls between which the yarn packing is compressed and retained in position. It will be understood that the inner lead strip 9 may be omitted in some cases, if so desired, but in applying my improved packing to ordinary bell and spigot pipe joints, I prefer to em loy said inner lead strip in all cases. It wi l also be understood kthat while the oblique abutting and overlapping ends 13 of the strips when bent into a circle, are desirable as materially assisting in making a tight joint, these ends may be abutted in any other suitable manner.

In actual practice, the application of power for forcing the lead strips and lvarn packing into place, is best obtained by special means for positively and speedily accomplishing the results required, but the details of such means are not here described since they form no part of theV present invention and are, therefore, reserved for a separate application.

I have described my improved method and means in that particularity which I deem to be the best exposition of my invention, and that which I prefer in commercial practice, but I do not restrict or confine myself to the minor or secondary details as such variations may be resorted to as matters of mechanical skill and without a departure from the spirit of the invention.

till

incasso Having now described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l l. A pipe joint comprising two pipe se'ctions coupled by a bell and spigot joint, combined with a' seal consisting of yarn packing forced into the socket formed by the bell, and a lead seal for holding the packing in position composed of two oppositely beve arranged about one section of pipe and resting in contact said strips fitting tightly in the mouth of the bell and the outer strip having its inner beveled edge bent radially outward over the yarn and ycrowded into the. lead groove of the bell, the yarn pressing in opposite directions upon the beveled edges of the two lead strips to positively crowd said strips tightly respectively against the inner wall of the bell of one section and against the outer wall of the other section. i

2. 'llhe pipe joint specified in claim l, when further characterized by having the seat of the socket of the bell provided with a beveled strip of ductile metal surrounding the spigot end of one section and pressed into the curved space between the bead of the spigot end and the seat of the socket of the bell of` the other section,` said ductile metal st rip sealing the seat end of the joint and forming an annular abutment against which the yarn is forced and acting as an inner confine therefor.

3. A pipe joint comprising two pipe sections coupled together by a bell and spigot joint, combined with a lead and yarn sealconsisting of a lead strip tapered at its inner edge and having said tapered edgejforced over the bead of the spigot and radially inward between said bead and seat of the bell, a yai'n packing pressed into the socket of the'bell and resting against the lead, and an outer metal seal forced into the niouth of the bell and holding the yarn under compression and between it and the inner lead seal.

, el. rlvhe pipe oint specified in claim 3 when the outer instal seal is formed of diictile metal and its inner edge adjacent to the yarn formed with an annular groove in which the varn entends and thereby acts to spread the annular edges of the metal seal to make it tightly lit the socket of the bell:

5. ln a pipe joint comprising two pipe sections coupled together by a bell and spigot joint, combined with sealing means for the socket of the bell composed of a yarn packing forced into the socket and an annular ductile metal seal tting the mouth of the bell and having its inner edge adjacent to the yarn formed with an annular groove in which the yarn extends and thereby acts to ed strips of lead conceiitrically i edges between which the yarn enters, said sealing accomplished yby forcing said ductile metal seal into the mouth of the bell and tightly into contact with the yarn therein whereby the yarn imparts a relative spreading action upon the lateral tapered edges to force them respectively into tight contact with the outer surface of one pipe section and the inner wall and lead groove thereof of thel bell socket of the other pipe section.

7. The herein described method of forininga tight packing for a bell and spigot pipe coupling, which consists in sealing the seat of the bell and spigot pipe end with an annular ductile metal strip by forcing it tightly in position, then compressing yarn into the socket of the bell and upoln the. dilctile metal sea-l, and finally sealing said coin pressed yarn in position by a ductile annular outer seal having inner lateral tapered edges .between which the yarn enters, said sealing accomplished by forcing said ductile metal seal into the lmouth. of the bell and tightly into contact with the yarn therein whereby the yarn imparts a relative sprea ding action upon the lateral tapered edges to force them respectively into tight contact with the outer surface of one pipe `section and the inner will] and lead .groove thereof of the bell socket of the other pipe section.

8. The method of forming a tightly packed 'joint in bell and spigot coupled pipe sections,

which consists in forcing into the bell socket a suitable packing of yarn and in quantity suiiicient to almost fill the socket, then inserting into the mouth of the 'bell two annular concentrically arranged strips of lead said strips having their lateral inner edges oppositely beveled to forni a V-shaped annular groove, then forcing said annular strip into the socket and upon the yarn packing therein and causing said packing to spread said beveled edges of the strips and other wise crushing the strips tightly into the inouth of the bell, the spreading of the inner lateral edges of the strips causing the inner strip to press tightly upon the outer surface of the spigot pipe section and the outer strip to bend outwardlyv into the lead groove of the bell and tightly into contact with the inner wall of the bell to lock it in place.

ln testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WllililAM H. FLINT. 

